Take defensive personnel to dinners.
Pick names of defensive mates for future naming of offspring.
Find lucrative NIL deals for defenders.
Clean up all messes by defensive players in the locker room, dorm rooms and apartment rooms, and complete Door Dash deliveries to all of them.
Do early Christmas shopping for defensive coordinator Jay Hill.
BYU’s defense made crucial plays numerous times during the Cougars’ 34-28 victory over Baylor on Saturday, played under a scorching sun, helping the No. 22 team achieve a 5-0 record to close out September and tie for first place in the Big 12.
However, none of those pivotal moments were as significant as stopping two Baylor drives in the last four minutes.
BYU safety Crew Wakley sealed the game with an interception of Baylor quarterback Sawyer Robertson with just 59 seconds remaining, showcasing the impressive effort of the Cougar defense.
This marked BYU’s first-ever road win in the Big 12.
“There was a lot of drama, but I’m just happy we got the win,” stated BYU head coach Kalani Sitake after the match.
Just moments earlier, linebacker Jack Kelly’s pressure led to a holding penalty against Baylor, and he also had an interception slip through his fingers.
Prior to that, the Cougar secondary’s excellent man press coverage and consistent pressure thwarted Baylor’s efforts to overcome a six-point deficit against BYU.
BYU jumped out to an early lead with explosive plays on both sides of the ball, reminiscent of their victory over No. 13 K-State.
The Cougars established a 21-0 lead in the first quarter, starting with a tipped pass by defensive tackle John Nelson on Baylor’s opening play, which was intercepted by tackle Blake Mangelson.
However, after that strong start, the Cougar offense struggled in the heat of Texas during the late second and third quarters, allowing Baylor to regain momentum.
Quarterback Jake Retzlaff, who had an impressive first half, threw two interceptions, including one on a tipped ball at the line during the fourth quarter. There were also dropped passes and ineffective runs, despite accumulating over a hundred rushing yards in the first half.
Baylor, coming off a tough overtime loss to Colorado the previous week, rallied with a surge of emotion to challenge BYU.
“This shows our resilience,” Retzlaff commented afterward on BYUtv. “I have so much trust in our defense.”
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